Wood foundations

[Dunham Farm]

Any one out there used this instead of blocks or poured concrete?
To start, back in 2001 we built a home with no basement, (I'm a builder) We didn't have the money to go that way, we lived in tents from July till mid Nov. logging and sawing the logs. Now I would like to add a basement a little at a time so we can add the wood furnace and make it warmer here.
Thanks Brian

 

[huntsman22]

You are a builder? Didn't anyone tell you the foundation goes in before the house? You thought it was expensive to do before, wait till you see how much it costs, after.........

 

[EddieWalker]

Just curious more then anything.

Are you wanting to build a basement out of wood only? Floor and walls?

Just a few issues that you will have to deal with if you go this route. Support the load of the building above it. Will the basement walls line up with the exterior walls? How are the interior walls supported? What type of sub-floor did you build and how will it be supported?

If you want to build the basement walls inside the footprint of your exterior walls, how will you make the walls strong enough to hold back the soil? Side pressure can be extreme when the soil gets wet!!!

How will you keep it dry? Wood is difficult to make water tight, especiallly with multiple pieces that you cannot get to from the outside? Will you build the walls, seal them and then backfill? I'm at a loss on how to do this effectively.

Hydraulic pressure from the ground up can be extreme. It's enough to lift swimming pools out of the ground. It's why allot of concrete basements leak. How will you seal the floor so that water is not forced up into that space?

Modern pressure treated wood that is rated for ground contact has a life expectancy of 20 years depending on conditions. I would plan on it lasting less then that when building and expect to have to start doing repairs in a dozen years.

Do you really need a basement? If so, I would look into building it next to your house.

Or, I might consider building a separate building for this. Maybe a shop with an area for your wood furnace. Or just a small outbuilding with a cement pad?

Good luck, I'd love to hear what you decide to do and how you go about doing it.

Eddie

 

[wesmann]

I started my small house on piers. Later when I had more cash I had a foundation poured beside it and hired a crane to move it.

 

[Dunham Farm]

Yes I'm a builder. The cost I can do now. I have the equipment to do it. when you get remarried after a divorce as many knows you do what you have to do to get ahead. Go here to see. Publications | Southern Pine Council | 1-504-443-4464
Thanks Brian

 

[BungeeII]

Any one out there used this instead of blocks or poured concrete?
To start, back in 2001 we built a home with no basement, (I'm a builder) We didn't have the money to go that way, we lived in tents from July till mid Nov. logging and sawing the logs. Now I would like to add a basement a little at a time so we can add the wood furnace and make it warmer here.
Thanks Brian

Wow, I just don't know about adding it after the fact. I'm not a builder, rather a consumer that has a wood foundation under my new home.

The cheapest basement to build in my area is block, and most likely the only one you could do bit by bit.

A crucial step in any wood basement is maintaining the proper drainage plain. This means some serious pea gravel and sand that likely pushes it's cost over that of block or poured. That doesn't even begin to address the structural relationship one wall has with the other.

 

[2manyrocks]

The only place I've even seen this discussed is in Fine Homebuilding Magazine, October 1981 "Wood Foundations," by Irwin and Diane Post. Also reprinted in Fine Homebuildings, "Frame Carpentry" book 1990. And then they had a 6" to 12" gravel pad as a base with a 4" concrete floor. They also did a fair amount of work to make sure it was well drained.

 

[Paddy]

Dunham,

I have no problem with post foundations, but below grade walls are another story. You don't mention where you have built or how big your home is at this point. If your existing structure is small-ish and you are wanting to expand, build a masonary bacement beside with a room above. Now you have your bacement and a bit more room. Also, not that your thinking of re-sale, but homes with wood foundations are hard to get loans. I had a friend that had an old trailer. He kept adding on to it with rooms sitting on posts. Eventually the trailer was covered, walls/ceiling removed. All that remains of the trailer is the floor. After 20 years they would like to sell but....

 

[Dunham Farm]

At this point I'm looking at type foundation. I will most likely go with blocks. I like looking at the new and old and seeing what other people think. Thanks for the input.
Brian

 

[Kays Supply]

I did the plumbing on a church several years ago with a wood basement. The thing I remember most, is that one corner of the building settled about 6" before the job was finished. It had the gravel footing and then 2x12 treated lumber under the 2x6 walls. I always felt the drain tile in the bottom of the footing made the water draw into the footing making it soft.